Stolen Beauty
by Suki59
Summary: Eric is the victim of a body thief. Can he and Sookie find the perpetrator? How will he handle his new human body? Can Sookie love him as he is? This is post Book 9.
1. Chapter 1

Charlaine Harris owns these characters. Aurora151989 inspired me with one of her tantalizing challenges, and so this is for her.

I never in a thousand years thought I'd find myself in this position. I am sitting on the back steps of Sookie's house waiting for her to get home from work. It's freezing and I don't have a jacket with me. Hopefully, Sookie has something I can borrow just to get me through tonight. I'm also exhausted and the muscles in my back ache. I stand and stretch, hearing a popping sound. That can't be good. I rub my eyes and press my fingers into my temples. Great--a fucking headache. I have no idea what people take for this type of pain these days. Sookie will know. God, I wish I knew when she'll be home.

I try not to focus on the pain behind my eyes when suddenly I realize that I have an additional discomfort as well. In my abdomen. I press into my stomach and feel nothing unusual, then poke around a little lower until it hits me: I need to urinate. Fuck.

I stand and wander into the woods behind the house until I find a suitably wide tree trunk and stand behind it. I open my pants and remove my flaccid member and look down. Good lord, it is tiny. How completely disappointing. I separate my legs into a wider stance, aim my ridiculous penis away from me and push from within. Almost immediately, I feel euphoric at the relief. Apparently, that pressure had really been building up and I hadn't realized what it was. I really had to go. It smells horrible, but at least I feel better. The stream begins to diminish and I take a little hop back to avoid getting any urine on my pants. This penis is just way too short. A tiny bubble of gas escapes my anus as I push a final time to empty my bladder. Great. I need to defecate as well. What next? All these procedures are completely disgusting. I push from within again and decide that I can most likely postpone defecating for awhile. It certainly doesn't seem as urgent as the urinating was. Thank goodness. The last thing I need is for Sookie to discover me squatting behind her house like an animal. Fuck. I am an animal. A fucking disgusting one.

I find my seat on the back porch steps again and try to retrace the steps that got me here. Earlier tonight, I was in my office doing paperwork when Pam summoned me to the bar. She said the vermin needed a look at me and so I complied and sat on my throne for an hour or so. I snarled at a few tourists and leered at some fangbangers until they swooned and giggled. So predictable.

When I felt I'd done my duty, I returned to my office, but as I approached the door, something felt wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it, but something smelled off. Now I know that it was magic. I didn't recognize it at the time, unfortunately, or I wouldn't be sitting here now. I opened the door and saw him sitting on the floor, cross-legged, eyes rolled back into his head, humming mindlessly. There was a circle drawn around him on the floor and candles lit all over the room. I closed the door behind me and suddenly he began to mumble in Latin and his head fell back. I should have just jumped on him in that moment, but I was too slow to respond. I wanted to, but perhaps the magic forced my response to falter. I'm not certain. He stopped speaking and his mouth opened wide to the ceiling.

Suddenly, I was gripped by an overwhelming sensation. It wasn't painful exactly as much as urgent. I vaguely registered that it felt like I needed to vomit which I hadn't done in over a thousand years, of course. I grabbed my stomach and felt a pressure as if something or someone was slapping me on the back. I gagged and a surge of air was forced from my mouth. I felt an immediate sting of cold and light and speed as though I was racing through a bright white tunnel. And then I hit a wall and everything went dark and I was warm and suffocating. I opened my mouth to try and get some air and coughed a few violent coughs as I swallowed large gulps of air. I put my hands on my throat as I took heavy ragged breaths, desperately sucking air into my lungs. I tried to suppress a wave of panic and soon I was taking regular breaths. I opened my eyes and brought my head down, facing forward.

I was not prepared for the sight before me. I saw myself standing in front of my closed office door with a wide-eyed expression on my face. I seemed to be staring past me (okay, that makes no sense, but it's the truth). Then my eyes focused on me and I watched my mouth curl up into an evil smile. I had an odd random thought at how handsome I am and then suddenly I watched myself turn around, open the door, and step out into the hall. I scrambled clumsily to my feet and followed myself out and down the hall to the back door. I watched myself push the back door open and then bend my knees and spring forward, disappearing into the sky. I ran after myself and reached up, trying to follow, and realized that I couldn't get airborne for some reason. I jumped and fell forward, feeling immediate pain as I landed face first on the pavement.

I stood and brushed myself off and that's the first time I registered what was different about me. I ran my hands down the front of my thighs. My pants were black. My thighs were lean. Skinny, even. I turned my palms up and stared into my hands. They weren't mine. I touched my face. Not mine. Hair. Not mine. It all came to me in a sickening flood. He'd switched bodies with me. The motherfucker had done some sort of magic and switched our bodies. I felt a wave of nausea. At least I assumed it was nausea. I bent over at the waist and gagged. Yellowish, foul-smelling liquid poured from my mouth and splattered onto the pavement. Good god, it was disgusting. I coughed and gagged some more, trying to catch my breath. No more liquid seemed to be emptying from my stomach and so I stood straight and searched the sky. But there was no sign of me. The motherfucker was long gone.

I wanted to get back to my office to regroup, but the door had locked behind me. I walked around to the front of the building and got into the line waiting to enter the bar. As the line moved forward, I looked ahead and saw a very bored Pam checking i.d.s. I panicked at the thought of her confronting me. I had no idea what I would tell her. How could I convince her what had just happened to me? Would she believe me? What if she didn't and she decided to kill me instead? Suddenly, getting into my office didn't seem so urgent. I realized that a human self-preservation instinct had kicked in and I was afraid of Pam simply because she was a vampire.

I turned around and left the parking lot unnoticed. I started walking, trying to think of my next move. I was afraid to approach another vampire with my predicament. Too dangerous. Could I get to my house? And then, how would I get in? If I broke in, I'd be arrested. Jesus. This is so fucked up.

I reached into my pocket and found a set of keys and a wallet. I had no way of knowing where this idiot's car was. He didn't have one of those electronic keys, so I couldn't click it and hope to find the car. I opened the wallet. Fourteen dollars. Fuck. I felt helpless. Alone. I knew that Sookie was my only real hope at getting any help, but I hated the thought of going to her in this condition. I was scared. And frail. And fucking human. Plus, I most likely smelled like vomit.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm my nerves. I was going to have to do whatever I needed to do to survive this. I tried to still the practical part of my brain and ignore the panicked part. I stuck my thumb out and waited for a ride to Bon Temps.

My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of a car coming up the gravel drive. Finally, Sookie is coming home. I feel an enormous relief that I'll soon no longer be alone with my massive problem. Sookie will help me. I've done the right thing coming to her.

I stand and wait until she parks and gets out of the car. I approach her, suddenly overwhelmed with human emotion at how afraid I am. My eyes sting and I feel the cool night air chill the wet tracks that tears make down my face. I reach my hand to her, desperately hoping for her sympathy and comfort.

She looks at me with wide-open eyes as she closes her car door. I implore her with my own tear-filled eyes. She takes a step back in…fear? Confusion? She steels her spine and takes a breath. I notice her hands shaking—one at her side, one on her purse. Finally, she speaks: "Bob, what are you doing here?"

All I can do is cry like a baby.


	2. Chapter 2

Bob had started hanging around the house again, but in human form, obviously. He came up from New Orleans and apparently, he and Amelia had kissed and made up. I really didn't know the details, or want to know them. I figured what was between the two of them was really none of my business. He'd stayed upstairs with Amelia for awhile, but I seriously doubted if anything was going on between them. She was still reeling from Tray's death and needed a friend and Bob was there. Was anything sexual happening between them? Who knows? I never saw the attraction in the first place, and so I sure couldn't imagine it after all that she'd been through.

Bob was very inquisitive about my relationship with Eric. I suppose it was kind of interesting. We were bonded--married, really, in the eyes of the vamps. I could see how that might be kind of fascinating. But I never felt comfortable enough with Bob to discuss my relationship with my vampire husband with him. He asked to go to Fangtasia with me a couple of times, but I really was too busy with work to go to Shreveport bar-hopping with Bob. It was just too weird. And Amelia certainly was in no mood for dancing. I just kept blowing him off.

If I really thought about it, I didn't like Bob. I felt guilty about that because he'd spent a fair amount of time as a pet cat in my care. The whole thing was so odd. I wanted to like him, but there was something kind of creepy about him after I'd had a chance to get to know him a little as a human. I never said anything to Amelia about it because—guilty again, I felt like she needed all the friends she could get. And so, I ignored my gut feeling and let Bob stay at my house.

I never read Bob's thoughts when he was at the house. Amelia was such a strong natural broadcaster and I had developed the habit of keeping my shields up when I was at home, which was exhausting, but not as exhausting as hearing every single thought in Amelia's head. As a result, my shields were always up when Bob was around. I got an occasional general view of his brain if my shields slipped a bit, but didn't give it much thought. He seemed just like any other human man with boring thoughts.

I was relieved when Amelia said she was going for a visit to New Orleans. I knew she needed a change of scenery and I'd be rid of Bob for awhile.

The night I came home from work and found Bob in my driveway crying, I was genuinely afraid of him. I was alone and he should have been long gone, and yet, here he was in my driveway. He was reaching out to me and crying like a child and I wondered what was wrong and felt like maybe he was mentally unstable. I asked what he was doing and he just cried harder.

I backed into my car door and started to wonder if I could out-run him when he spoke between sobs. "Sookie, it's me, Eric."

My fears were confirmed at the realization that he was completely nuts, but I didn't want to spook him. "Okay. Just calm down, _Eric_. Now, tell me what's wrong."

He stopped crying and stared at me. "This is so embarrassing. Am I still crying?"

"Uh…no."

He took a deep breath. "Good. So, you believe me then."

"Sure."

"Fuck. No, you don't. I can always tell when you're lying." He had a creepy half-smile on his face. "You cock your right eyebrow."

"Really?"

"God, you're so beautiful. You give me a hard-on." He dropped a hand down and felt his own crotch. I wished I could back away further, but my butt was flat up against the car.

"Okay, stop that."

"Sorry. Shit. That was inappropriate, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

He put his hand into a pocket. "I'm sorry. Let me start over. That witch friend of your roommate's cast some sort of spell tonight and switched bodies with me. I'm Eric. The little fruitcake took off in my body and left me with this." He looked down at his own chest, then his hands. I peeked into his brain and saw an image of Eric's body clad in dark jeans and a navy t-shirt but from the perspective of his own eyes, looking down at his body. It was most unsettling.

"Okay. If that's true, then tell me, when were we bonded?"

"Rhodes. In the hallway. Andre was there. Then the fucking tiger."

"What pet name do you call me?'

"Easy. Lover."

"Okay. Um…what color underwear were you wearing when I found you running down the road?"

"Red. And they were very small. I think you called them tiny."

"Oh my god." I slumped against the car, my shoulders fell. I put my hand over my mouth. "What happened?"

"Can we go inside? I'm freezing, lover."

I fixed a fire in the fireplace and made Eric…Bob…whatever…some toast and scrambled eggs. He told me in vivid detail how he had puked in the parking lot at Fangtasia and needed some food in his stomach. As soon as I started the dishes, he excused himself "to defecate." He emerged twenty minutes later apologizing for the smell as though we were discussing the result of a scientific experiment. I probably blushed and he finally stopped and said, "This is uncomfortable for you. I'm sorry. It's been so long. I'm not sure what's appropriate conversation and what isn't regarding bodily functions. I think I discussed such matters with my wife, but…well, it's been a long time. Would you prefer that I keep such things to myself?"

"It's okay, Eric. I'm just not used to it, that's all. I've never had a human husband, remember?"

"Right."

I was exhausted and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. When I emerged, Eric was under the covers waiting for me. "Please tell me you're not naked under there."

"I am. I'm sorry. Is that wrong? I prefer to rest in the nude."

"I'm sorry, but this is all kind of hard for me to take. Just stay on your side of the bed, okay? I'm tired. I need to sleep."

"Okay."

I turned the lights out and smoothed my nightgown down before pulling the covers over me. I turned away from Eric and closed my eyes. "Good night. We'll figure this all out tomorrow, okay?" I waited for an answer but all I got was a jiggling of the bed and rapid breathing. "Oh my god, are you jerking off?"

"I can't help it. You smell so good and I have this ridiculous little erection."

"Stop it!"

"I can't. It feels too good."

I sprung from the bed and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I waited for what seemed like an eternity and then tentatively opened the door. "Are you finished?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, lover. That was rude. I'm just not sure how to handle this body. I promise I'll behave. Come back to bed."

I climbed into bed and got settled and soon heard Eric's steady breathing beside me. I was too tired to think about what all I had learned since I'd gotten home and soon found myself drifting off to a dreamless and restful sleep myself, lying dangerously close to the stranger that was my husband.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't remember falling asleep, but I was awakened by an unfamiliar discomfort. It took me a few seconds to remember where I was and what had happened to me and then I identified the discomfort. I got up and urinated in Sookie's toilet without turning the light on. My eyes preferred the dark. I shuffled back to bed and got under the warm covers and began to drift back to sleep when I became aware of something happening in the room. There was something vaguely different about Sookie's room and I managed to climb up out of an almost sleep and open my eyes.

The room was lighter. I looked at the light fixture in the center of the ceiling, but it remained dim and then it hit me: the sun was rising.

I threw the covers back and stood before the window. The side yard was lit in an orange glow. I turned and ran out the back door and the cold of the early morning hit my body, but I didn't care. I stepped off the porch into the cold wet grass and walked into the center of the yard. I stared at the trees before me and then slowly turned and studied the tool shed, Sookie's car in the back apron, the house, the flowers and bushes along its side. Every color was altered and seemed to continue to change with each passing moment. There was an abundance of yellows and oranges and no true whites at all. I walked closer to the screened-in porch and studied the screen itself. No longer a dull black mesh of metal, it glowed a coppery tone. I followed a wide plane of copper until it turned a dull black again. I reached out to touch the black part and realized that it was my own shadow on the screen. I stepped aside and watched the same spot flash the beautiful coppery color.

I heard Sookie coming out onto the porch, but I couldn't tear my focus away from the screen in front of me to acknowledge her. I caught sight of her in my peripheral vision coming into the yard and approaching me with a large object in her arms. When I felt her at my side, she gently spoke. "What's the matter, Eric?"

I turned to face her and the sight of her beautiful face lit up in the orange glow took my breath away. I reached out and touched her cheeks with both my hands and then registered the concern on her face. It wasn't until then that I realized that I was crying. "The sun. It's the sun." I couldn't speak without my voice breaking.

She nodded, smiling sweetly, and her own eyes filled with tears. She unfolded the object in her arms which I realized was her grandmother's quilt and draped it over my shoulders. She turned and disappeared into the tool shed but then emerged shortly with two folded aluminum chairs. After setting them up in the center of the yard, she turned to me and held out her hand. We sat side by side, still holding hands, facing the east and waited as the miracle unfolded.

I could have sat there all day, of course, but eventually I started to get hungry. Sookie offered to go in and fix us some food. I kissed her hand as she left me, completely content in the moment in spite of my new circumstances. I returned my gaze to the east and relaxed, entertained by the sites before me until my reverie was broken by a piercing yelp from inside. I felt immediate concern until it was followed by an angry, "Eric Northman! Jesus Christ, Shepherd of Judea!"

I ran into the house to see what was wrong and found a very angry Sookie standing at the bathroom door. "Were you raised in a barn?" I didn't even bother to answer, surmising that her question was rhetorical. "You peed all over the toilet seat!" I stepped into the bathroom as she angrily gave me a tutorial on using a modern toilet and then showed me where the cleaning supplies were underneath the sink.

I began my assigned task as she stomped away, mumbling about how it was bad enough that she would have to wash the sheets after my "little stunt last night."

I got the toilet and floor cleaned up where I had sloppily urinated and made a mental note to be more careful in the future. I followed the scent of food into the kitchen and saw Sookie bending over, peering into the oven. Even in her flannel gown, the curves of her perfect ass were alluring. She stood and sensing my presence, turned and immediately blushed and looked up at the ceiling. "Oh god, Eric. Oh dear. You're going to have to put some clothes on. I can't have you pointing that thing at me all day." I realized that I was erect again after studying her ass.

"I'm sorry. But, you're just so lovely. I know, I know--I'm not anymore. I must disgust you." I looked down at my inadequate member, even at full attention.

"No, honey. Oh dear. No, it's not that. It's just all so strange. You look like someone else. Someone I didn't even like. It's like seeing a stranger naked in my kitchen. I'm sorry."

Before she finished apologizing, I went into the bedroom and found my pants and stepped into them. Returning to the kitchen, I found Sookie setting our plates down at the table and we enjoyed our biscuits and sausage gravy, politely avoiding the subject of my unappealing new body.

After breakfast, I showered and shaved with a disposable razor I found still in the package in a drawer, cutting my chin badly. I watched the blood droplet form and felt nothing for the first time in a thousand years. It stung. Well, that's obviously not nothing. But I had no desire to lick the blood even though I recognized the scent as a human's. Very odd.

Sookie said she found some of Bob's clothes in Amelia's laundry basket upstairs and would have them clean as soon as the sheets were finished. At her suggestion, I put my clothes from the previous night back on and went out to watch the sun some more. I couldn't imagine that ever getting old.

After an hour or so, Sookie joined me, clean and dressed in jeans and a sweater. She was such a beautiful woman no matter what she had on. "I called Sam and asked for some time off. I didn't give him any details, but he seemed fine with it." She settled into her chair beside mine. "I left a message for Amelia to call me. There's really not much to be done until after dark. We can go to Shreveport and see Pam and ask her what to do." I nodded, dreading explaining all of this to my child. "But until then, we have the day ahead of us. A whole day of sunshine. Why don't we make the best of it and enjoy? What do you say?"

I felt a wave of gratitude for the suggestion and wanted to kiss my beautiful Sookie, but I stopped myself, realizing that she most likely would not appreciate my advances. I just thanked her and smiled instead.

I changed into some jeans and a sweatshirt, warm and fresh from the dryer, and savored the sensation. Then Sookie and I set out to enjoy a day outdoors in the sun. We picked up some fried chicken and potato salad and found a secluded meadow in which to have our picnic lunch. I spread out the blanket from Sookie's trunk and after our bellies were full, we just lay together side by side, staring at the blue sky. I was content in spite of my predicament. I decided to try an experiment and thought directly at Sookie. _I know you can't feel me anymore, but can you hear my thoughts?_

"Yes." She turned her head and I felt her smile at me.

_Thank you for this, lover._

"You're welcome, Eric."

I watched the sky until I felt Sookie's breathing slow beside me. I turned and found her sleeping like an angel. I didn't want to disturb her and so I stood and walked away from our blanket. I found a path at the edge of the meadow and followed it until I came to the bank of the lazy river that snakes beside Bon Temps. I sat on a rock and watched the light playing on the water. I breathed in and out, relishing the cool fresh air that filled my lungs. I stood and peed into the river, amused at the pattern the spray made on the water's surface. As disturbed as I was at losing my body, I was overjoyed at being able to experience the sun again. It felt strange to both hate and love what I had become, but then I thought: hasn't that always been the case? Now I just have different things to hate and love.

I found my way back to a sleeping Sookie and quietly lay beside her. I had spent many hours watching her sleep, but never in sunlight. The shadows on her face, the highlights in her hair—it was all just too beautiful. I knew it was wrong, but I leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss on her cheek. She didn't move and so I lay back and simply watched her some more. Yes, what had happened to me was horrible and I didn't know what my future held, but I was also making the best of it. And what could be better than this?


	4. Chapter 4

I woke to find Bob's face dreamily watching me sleep. I sat up, a little uncomfortable, and started to get our trash together. Eric folded the blanket and we headed back to the car.

Driving home, he chattered away about his walk to the river and the sights he'd seen. He was like a child describing his first trip to Disneyland and it broke my heart for all the sunny days Eric had missed in the past millennium.

I got an idea and when we got home, I told Eric to enjoy the yard while I took care of a few things inside. This must be what it feels like to park a kid in front of a video when you're too tired to babysit anymore. I changed into my dress, checking out the window from time to time. I approached him from behind while he sat in his folding chair. When he turned to me, I melted seeing the expression on his face. "My god, you look beautiful."

"Thank you. I've ironed a shirt for you. Why don't you put your black pants back on and the shirt. I've made dinner reservations for us."

"Dinner? Isn't it too early? Are you hungry?"

"Don't worry about that. I think you'll like where we're going."

"Wait. I don't have any money."

"My treat." He started to object, but finally agreed to go when I told him he could pay me back sometime. We both got quiet, realizing that we had no idea when or if he would ever get his life back.

We approached the handsome maitre d'. "Stackhouse. We have a reservation."

"Of course. Oh, I see we are celebrating a birthday this evening. Congratulations. We have a very special table for you. Right this way."

Handsome reached for my chair to pull it back for me, but I took the opposite one instead and sat down. He looked at me in surprise. It's customary to give the lady the better view. I smiled. "He's the birthday boy. The view should be his tonight." He nodded politely and excused himself.

I had never been here before, but had heard about this place. It was on the top floor of the tallest building in downtown Shreveport and boasted a breathtaking 360 degree view of the city. I timed it so we'd watch the sunset. So Eric would watch the sunset. He reached across the table and took my hand in his and thought to me: _I wish you could feel my feelings right now, lover._ I smiled as I felt my throat tighten.

"Happy birthday, Eric."

I ordered a bottle of the most expensive champagne on the wine list. I knew nothing about champagne, but I wanted the best for this special night. We toasted to beautiful sunsets, laughed and talked between sips, and finally, became silent and held hands as the sky lit up in purple and orange and red streaks before fading to a deep blue. Eric wiped his eyes and kept his face turned away from the room to compose himself. I gestured to the waiter that it was now fine to take our order. He'd been discreetly asked to give us privacy until after sunset.

Eric kept telling me how wonderful he felt. I assured him that it was the champagne, but wasn't really fully convinced myself. The food was expensive and I thought overpriced for the quality until I watched Eric eat it. The expression on his face and the sounds of satisfaction were worth the price and more.

After dinner, we drove to Fangtasia. I told Pam that "Bob" and I needed a word with her in private, and so she led us into Eric's office. Eric and I sat together on the sofa and Pam pulled a chair over when she saw how serious we looked. I was silent as Eric spoke in an unrecognizable language. Pam's expression never changed. She didn't move or blink, but just listened as Eric spoke for what seemed like quite a long time. I assumed that he used their shared language to prove his identity, but then also wondered if maybe I wasn't suppose to know what he was saying. That's okay, I thought. It's his deal, not mine. When he stopped speaking, Pam merely whispered, "Yes, master." I guess he convinced her.

Pam made some phone calls and there was quite a bit more conversation with Eric—some in English and some not. As it got late, I was starting to fade and I knew Eric was as well. We drove home, discussing our plans for the next few days. There was a lot to accomplish and I hoped that we were up to it all. After a long silence, Eric changed the subject. "I'm sorry about last night. I mean about masturbating with you in the bed. It was outrageously rude and disrespectful. My only excuse is that I was overwhelmed with new sensations and not thinking clearly. I promise it won't happen again. In fact, I'd be happy to sleep in another bedroom. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"It's okay, Eric. I mean, it was upsetting. It's just all so strange. I know it's you and yet you look like someone else. You don't have to sleep in another room. And just for your general information, I think that most human men…you know…masturbate in the bathroom. The shower probably. You know, for privacy. Just fyi."

"Of course. I do apologize."

"Apology accepted, sweetie."

Eric hadn't had a nap in the meadow like I had and he went to bed while I called Amelia again. This time she was in and I explained what was going on.

By the time I got into bed, Eric was fast asleep. I watched his face in the moonlight and the oddest thing happened. He started to look like Eric to me. I mean, not really. He was still in Bob's body, but I felt like he was Eric as well. I touched his lips and wondered what it would feel like to kiss them. Would it feel like kissing Bob? I was too tired to think any more and so I turned over and went to sleep.

I woke to the sound of running water. It was still dark in the room and I peeked at the clock: 1:45. I sat up and looked around me. Eric was missing, but the shower was on. Poor baby. I went back to sleep. We had a big day ahead of us.


	5. Chapter 5

I was sitting in my lawn chair wrapped in the ugly quilt again when the sun rose. I couldn't imagine ever getting tired of the sight. Sookie brought me a cup of coffee and a kiss on the cheek and sat with me for a little while before going in to get ready for our trip. I packed the few clothes I had into her suitcase and showered and dressed. Yes, I had taken a shower late the previous night, but it wasn't to get clean. I had fallen asleep alone but woke in the night to find Sookie beside me. I struggled to find sleep again before surrendering to take care of my arousal, only this time using better manners. I stood under the spray of warm water in the dark, fantasizing that Sookie had decided to join me. I closed my eyes and imagined her sweet voice telling me that she wanted me no matter what as she stroked me to completion. Falling back to sleep, I scooted as close to her as I could get without touching.

I can't even imagine how strange it must be for Sookie to have me in a different body. Let's face it, a great part of my charm has always been my natural physical beauty. Because my youth was frozen after my turning, I never had to know the humbling effects of aging. I have enjoyed the benefits (and they are enormous, let's not kid ourselves) of occupying a beautiful shell. I have spent many lifetimes perfecting the use of such a shell. It opens doors, commands attention, pleases the eye, and seduces. Would Sookie have even noticed me had it not been for the way I looked? I believe that she loves me now for who I am, but would she ever have even bothered to know me if she hadn't been physically attracted to me? It is certainly humbling now for me to spend time with her and see her distancing herself from me physically. The physical beauty that I have always counted on to serve me has been stolen from me, and now I must rely on what remains that makes me who I am. It is becoming a painful lesson in humility.

Sookie is obviously no longer attracted to me. I'm certain that I repulse her in my current physical form, and I don't blame her. If the situation were reversed, would I still want her? It is hard to imagine. I feel that I love her for her inner beauty, but it is impossible to imagine separating her physical body from who she is.

We loaded the car and began our drive to New Orleans. Of course, I had never traveled by car during the day, and seeing the sights along the way captured in sunlight was a never-ending delight. I offered to drive, but Sookie insisted that I simply enjoy the view and I loved her for her thoughtfulness. We got off of the main interstate several times to see the countryside and found a tiny colorful diner in which to eat our lunch. I declared chili fries to be my new favorite food and decided that mid-afternoon sunlight flatters Sookie's hair the most.

After lunch, I fell asleep in the car. I wouldn't have thought it possible with all the sights to be seen, but the lull of the motion of the car and the incredibly soothing warmth of the sun filtered through the windows and my very full stomach all took its toll and I enjoyed the most glorious nap. I suppose I really needed it because I had not had a decent night's sleep between the shower and the pre-dawn wake-up. A vampire's rest is generally never interrupted for any reason. As great as it felt to sleep in my new human body, I hated missing out on new sights or sensations.

Sookie and I arrived at the palace before dusk. A human named Anthony showed us to our room and gave us a quick tour of the human dining facilities. Meals were served buffet style three times a day for the human staff and donors. Sookie and I grabbed a quick plate of food and ate while Anthony filled us in on what to expect. I asked if I could watch the sunset. Anthony seemed a little surprised, but then I saw his expression change as he realized what seeing such a sight must mean to me in my current situation. He kindly led us to a balcony that faced west and left us alone.

Sookie and I arranged the chairs to face the sunset and held hands as the sky caught on fire. We didn't say a word, but simply enjoyed the show. When the sky had turned its deep blue color, I stood to go inside, but before I turned towards the door, Sookie stopped me. I faced her to see what she wanted and saw an expression of love and tenderness in her eyes. She squeezed my hand and pulled me closer. She looked so beautiful. I touched her waist as she came a little closer. I wanted to kiss her so badly, to feel her in my arms. I ached for it. But I didn't want to repel her and so I settled for simply enjoying the view. Even a fiery sunset couldn't compare to her beauty.

She placed my other hand on her waist as both of her hands cupped my face. She gently and wordlessly pulled me to her and when I realized that she was going to kiss me, it felt like my heart was floating in an unfamiliar and exquisite state of suspension. I couldn't breathe and a warmth flooded my face. I closed my eyes in the last instant and her soft lips pressed into mine. I inhaled sharply, taking in her scent and pressing back, pulling her body into mine. One of her hands swept through my hair and rested on the back of my head. The other dropped and caressed my neck. I wrapped my arms around her and stroked the familiar planes of her back, relishing the soft curve just above her beautiful behind.

We stood like that, holding each other and kissing a simple kiss, just touching and feeling with our lips until we were interrupted by the sound of the doors opening. I pulled away from Sookie and faced Anthony who immediately apologized for intruding.

Sookie and I followed Anthony hand-in-hand down a different corridor until we reached a new suite of rooms. I must have looked puzzled until he explained, "After your request to see the sunset, it occurred to me how unusual your circumstances are and so I took the liberty of changing your room to this wing. Your private balcony faces east so that you may enjoy the sunrise."

"Thank you."

Sookie added, "How very considerate," and smiled brightly at me. I already relished the idea of sharing another sunrise with her.

Anthony left us to change clothes even though I had very few options. Sookie put a dress on and looked like a goddess. When we emerged from our room, Rasul was waiting with Anthony. They explained that after rising, Rasul would always be at our side for protection. I had to admit that I was glad to see him. I felt extremely vulnerable in my weak human body inside a building full of vampires. Any vamp that had ever had a grudge against me could easily kill me in my current state. Rasul and I had never been best friends, but I knew him to be honorable and trusted him as much as I could trust any vampire (except for Pam, naturally).

We all joined Pam and Victor Madden and a handful of other vampires in a large conference room on the third floor. Pam had flown in, traveling by coffin, after briefing the palace on the situation the previous night by phone. After some rather awkward greetings and odd looks from the other vampires, we all sat down to discuss the matter at hand. My sheriff's duties had been temporarily placed in Pam's lap, and we had the assurance of Victor that the area vamps would help in any way to resolve my problem. Sookie already had protected status, of course, and King DeCastro had issued an order of protection for me as well when he heard of my predicament. Victor had a meeting later with the local witch leaders to enlist their help. While we were discussing possible approaches to a solution, we were interrupted by a vampire with a message that there had been two sightings of Bob in my body here in New Orleans. That really got my attention. I knew both vampires personally, so I didn't doubt that they could identify me. They had both seen me—I mean, Bob—in the French Quarter the previous night. Victor dispatched six pairs of vamps to scour the area with orders to capture and not kill Bob. I started to feel excited and optimistic for the first time. I hoped that I'd be returned to my rightful body as soon as possible.


	6. Chapter 6

I had never stayed in such a beautiful place before. I'd been to hotels of course, and seen some really nice ones, but the rooms in the palace were really amazing. It wasn't just that they were decorated so opulently, but everything about them was just so accommodating. Our room had a fresh fruit basket and a bottle of wine resting in a silver ice bucket as well as a fully stocked little mini fridge full of bottled water, sodas and snacks. There were fresh flowers in vases scattered about the rooms, including the bathroom. The bathroom itself was a modern wonder with a huge walk-in shower and jacuzzi tub. Spa quality shampoo, conditioner, and lotion adorned the counter along with other beauty products. The cabinet over the sink held new toothbrushes, disposable razors, deodorant, and even tampons. They had thought of everything to make a human feel at home here. We were obviously in one of the rooms designed for humans because of the huge windows in the French doors that led to our balcony. There was a small table and a pair of chairs there so that guests could dine al fresco and enjoy the view.

In spite of Eric's horrible circumstances, I was actually looking forward to spending some time here with him. Odd as it was, it could be like a little mini-vacation for us. We had thoroughly enjoyed the drive down to New Orleans. Eric's enthusiastic love for sunshine was contagious, so it was impossible not to appreciate the scenery. Plus, spending hours in a car with him reminded me just how much fun he was to be around. Even in dire circumstances, he maintained his sense of humor and couldn't have been more pleasant company. I'd gotten used to the sound of his new voice and was starting to feel more comfortable with his body as well. I watched him sleeping in the car, and thought, it's funny, you know—I never saw it before, but Bob was actually quite handsome.

After our big meeting with the vamps, we had an even bigger meeting that included the New Orleans witches. There were about a dozen of them, including Amelia and Octavia. The first thing they did was ask Eric to describe in detail what Bob was doing when the body switch happened. Then they discussed among themselves what spell he had most likely used. They felt fairly confident that if we could find Eric's body with Bob in it, of course, they could most likely reverse the spell and return Eric to his rightful body. The tricky part was that we'd have to have Bob's cooperation. Even with the right spell, they would need to know the exact wording Bob used because even the slightest alteration could mean a disaster. When I asked what exactly they meant by "disaster," they said that if performed improperly, one or both souls could become lost and unable to enter either body. I didn't even want to consider what that might mean.

As the night wore on, the humans became very tired. The witches left and Victor suggested that Eric and I retire. He promised that Anthony would brief us in the morning if any progress was made while we slept. We said our goodnights and Rasul led us back to our room, assuring us that he would be outside our door until dawn.

I got ready for bed and climbed in beside Eric. I fluffed our pillows and lay down facing him, taking his hand in mine. "Eric, there's something I need to tell you."

"What is it, lover?"

"I know that this is completely your thing. Your body. Your life. But I want you to know how I feel. If there's any possibility of that thing happening—that thing where your soul gets out and can't find its way into a body, I don't want you to do this. I'm sure the prospect of living out a human lifetime inside this body is awful for you. You'd have a relatively short life span and have to suffer the human frailties that you left behind a very long time ago, but at least you'd have something. Or you could always get Pam to turn you if the thought of living a human life is just too awful for you. But an existence without a body sounds scarier than I care to even think about. If you don't go through with the ceremony, at least we could still be together. I love you and don't want to lose you, and I don't know how we could manage if you didn't have a body at all. I don't even know what that would be."

Eric smiled a sad smile and squeezed my hand. "My beautiful lover. Would it repulse you terribly if I were to hold you?"

"Of course not, sweetie."

Eric scooted towards me and took me in his arms and we just held each other for a long time. His hand stroked my back and his face nuzzled my neck. Finally, he whispered into my ear, "I love you so much." I pulled my head back and looked into his eyes before tenderly kissing his lips. My hands stroked his back, his arms, his neck. The kiss deepened and I pulled him closer to me still until he stopped abruptly and pushed me away. I looked at him with questioning eyes. He reached beyond me and turned the lamp off. "I don't want you to have to look at me."

I sat up and took a deep breath, contemplating my next move. I climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom, retrieving a few choice items. I lit a candle and placed it on the nightstand. Our bed glowed and the soft light flattered Eric's intense stare. "I think it's time I got to know this body a little. Roll over, baby."

Eric looked puzzled but complied, lying on his stomach but keeping his face turned so he could see me. I opened the bottle of lotion and poured a generous dollop into my hands, rubbing them together to warm it. I straddled Eric's butt and began massaging his back and shoulders. Almost immediately, he relaxed and softly moaned in pleasure. I took my time and smoothed lotion into every muscle of his arms, shoulders, back. I scooted down a bit and helped myself to two handfuls of his bottom. I kneaded and rubbed, eliciting more moans from Eric and feeling my own arousal building. I dismounted and knelt beside his body, pushing the sheet to the foot of the bed, and began massaging down first one leg and then the other. Both feet got lots of attention as well.

When I was satisfied that I had covered every inch of his back with the lotion, I told him to turn over. My heart skipped a beat when I saw his erection. I'd certainly seen it before in my kitchen, but this time I found it to be beautiful and ached to touch it. I began working my way up Eric's shins and thighs, never taking my eyes off of his perfectly lovely arousal. When his legs were done, I straddled his thighs and began to smooth lotion over his stomach and chest. I leaned forward to reach his upper chest and arms and felt his erection brush between my breasts through the fabric of my nightgown. Eric gasped and I looked up to see his eyes closed and an expression of pure pleasure on his face. I felt myself grow wetter and tingle at the anticipation of more contact with his member. I massaged down first one arm and then the other, giving special attention to each hand as I came to it. Then I returned my hands to Eric's abdomen. I pushed myself back a little, gently lowering my face onto his erection, rubbing my cheek along the velvety skin. I turned my face into him and pressed my lips to the center of his shaft. I was lost in the sensual pleasure of the soft skin of my face against the soft skin of his beautiful erection and kept rubbing my face and lips up and down on him. I wanted nothing more than to put him in my mouth and let my tongue feel what my lips were feeling. I heard Eric take a ragged breath and whisper a soft, "Please."

I opened my mouth to steal a little lick when I suddenly stopped and sat up. "Oh my god. I can't do this."

"I'm sorry. I know. It's so small and ugly."

"No, no, honey." I actually laughed. "It's…you're beautiful. I want to. But it's not safe. Sweetie, we don't know where it's been." His eyes widened at my words. "You're human. You might have some std or something."

"Fuck. You're right. I hadn't even considered that. They have tests for that, don't they?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't help us tonight, obviously." I lay back down beside him. "I'm sorry, baby. Here. I can still take care of you."

I put some lotion into my hand and placed his tip in my palm. I wrapped my fingers around him and began stroking and twisting, pushing and pulling. He felt so good in my slippery grasp.

Eric's breathing immediately sped up and he reached for me, pulling me to him for a passionate kiss. I opened my mouth and his tongue swirled around mine. An involuntary moan escaped me. My free hand dropped and joined the one pumping him so that every inch of flesh between his legs got plenty of attention. The deeper into my mouth Eric's tongue explored, the faster my hands worked. My own body tingled with want and I instinctively draped a leg over Eric's, opening myself to him. The passion kept building as we both moaned with pleasure. I knew he was getting close and squeezed tighter. Eric broke the kiss, burying his face in my hair as he cried out. I covered his tip with one hand and caught the warm liquid reward, mingling it with the lotion and gently slowing my strokes. Eric's cries of pleasure turned to soft whimpers and so I stopped, still holding him tightly. His breathing began to slow and he kissed my hair, cheek, lips, while covering my sticky hands with one of his own. He continued kissing me softly as he reached behind him, blindly fumbling for something on the nightstand. His hand returned to mine with some tissues as he helped clean me up. He tossed the used tissues into a wastebasket by the bed and then turned back to me with a look that can only be described as hungry. We both smiled, knowing what was next as I rolled onto my back, ready to be spoiled.


	7. Chapter 7

I was both touched and amazed when Sookie took the initiative to explore my new body. She gave me a full body massage and then an exquisite manual release, showing me that she loved me no matter what shell I happened to be in. She's a very special woman. Since she had shown me that I apparently did not repulse her, I took that as a green light to please her sexually. I didn't want to risk her health since she so eloquently pointed out that we didn't know where "that thing" had been. She makes me laugh in almost every situation. I removed her gown, happy beyond words to find her pantyless and wet. I warmed a handful of lotion with my own hands and went to work, covering every inch of her perfect body. By the time I got to the really good parts, she was panting and begging. I used my tongue for the first orgasm and then my hands alone performed the encore. The curtain call was tongue again. Aside from a slight taste of lotion on the curtain call, it was absolutely perfectly heavenly.

We fell asleep in exhausted bliss, wrapped together as if we fit perfectly. I woke as usual just before dawn and slipped out of bed to go and sit on the balcony. I wrapped myself in the soft throw draped over the arm of the sofa by the window and positioned my chair to face due east. I watched the sky begin to gradually lighten, but it was still technically night when Sookie appeared at my side. She was wearing nothing but a beautiful smile and I wondered what had her so happy so early until she held out her hand. "Look what I found."

As soon as I saw the little orange square, I knew what it was and I felt myself harden. I opened the throw that I had wrapped around me and Sookie straddled my lap, nuzzling her face into my neck and grasping my erection. I wrapped my arms around her, covering us both in the soft fabric and pulling her closer. I felt her rolling the condom onto me and I wanted to touch her to prepare her, but before I had even moved, she had raised herself up and simply sat down, covering every inch of me in soft warm wonderful. I gasped at the splendid shock just as the first light of dawn began to streak the sky. She began to move slowly, keeping her mouth on my neck, kissing and licking. I looked straight out at the sky as the colors began to change. Her rhythm was slow and steady and just exquisite. She started to speed up just a touch and my breathing sped up as well. She stopped. I steadied my breathing and pressed my hands into her back, urging her to continue. Slowly, she rocked me again, rising and falling, covering me with each stroke. The sky brightened, her speed increased. I got close and then she stopped. I held her tight and waited for my arousal to recede. She began to pump again. Slowly, torturously, sweetly. The sky turned orange. She sped up. Streaks of red. She licked and sucked. Fuchsia. I felt her walls pulse. Purple, gold, and finally blue. I exploded as she came around me, but I forced my tear-filled eyes to stay open.

It was the most perfect moment of my life. I thought, I don't care what happens to me now. That bastard thinks he took my world when he took my body, but I was the lucky one. I was the one who got to experience this stolen beauty. I never thought I'd see another sunrise again, and here I am with the woman I love sharing the most perfect pleasure I could imagine. Sookie rocked back and met my gaze with her own; wet tear tracks streaked her cheeks. We didn't need a blood bond to know what we were both feeling.

After Sookie and I both showered and dressed, we met Anthony downstairs at breakfast. He filled us in on the report he had received after the vamps all retired for the day. There had been no further sightings, unfortunately, but he was optimistic that eventually Bob would be found. Sookie asked if someone was watching his apartment during the day as well as night and she got a blank stare from Anthony.

"What? Please tell me that you have been watching his apartment here."

He swallowed hard and spoke slowly. "Um…we don't actually know where he lives. Do you?"

I took out my wallet and opened it to expose the driver's license and laid it on the table. We all three read it and I shrugged my shoulders. "Let's go, shall we?"

Anthony drove us to the apartment complex. I was fishing my keys out of my pocket when a hard looking blonde woman came out of one of the downstairs apartments. "Bob!"

"Hey! How's it going?" I had never seen her before, but she obviously knew me.

"Great, sweetie. Listen, I'm sorry I've been such a nag about the rent, but we're good now. Your friend was so sweet and even took care of half of next month, so no more nagging!"

"Really? Wow, that was great of him. Have you…uh…seen him around lately."

"Of course." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "He is so hot."

"Yeah, so I hear." She giggled and tossed her hair over a shoulder. I got a glimpse of fang marks just above her collar. "So, I'll see you later?"

"Sure, sweetie. See you around."

I turned and lowered my voice to Sookie. "Well, I think we can figure out who invited him in."

The apartment was small and dark and a little messy, but I'd seen worse. There was a bloody towel on the sofa and a pile of wallets on the coffee table. Bingo.

I walked down the hall and opened the closet door. Nothing. I checked the bedroom and closet in there. Then the bathroom. Nothing. I walked to the living room window and looked out. We were in a very urban area. Not many places for a vampire to bury himself. Sookie and Anthony were putting the wallets in a plastic bag, opening each one in search of clues. I made another walk through the apartment. At the end of the hall was the linen closet which I hadn't checked. At least I assumed it was the linen closet. I looked above it and saw the heat vent and decided that it was not a linen closet, but probably housed the heater. I carefully opened the door and there I was, curled up between the heater and wall, dead to the world.

We called the palace and within ten minutes a hearse had pulled up out front. I helped the men secure Bob's hands and feet with silver chains, cringing at the sight of the burning flesh. We wrapped the body in heavy black fabric before loading it into the coffin and finally into the back of the hearse.

Once we had the coffin safely stored in the palace, Sookie called Amelia and told her the good news. We were relieved, naturally, to have Bob in custody, but we were still a long way away from home free. We needed Bob's cooperation to get the spell to work, and even then, I wondered just how many things could go wrong.

Sookie and I had lunch in the dining room and then Anthony put us in an office while we went through the wallet collection. Fortunately, we were able to reach each wallet owner by phone and none seemed to have gotten himself or herself killed. We popped each one into a padded envelope and gave them to Anthony to be mailed.

The witches began to arrive and Anthony put them in a meeting room and ordered food and drinks to keep them happy. We sat and watched them going through spell books and practicing incantations. After a few hours, it became evident that our presence wasn't needed. Sookie and I excused ourselves and found our way back to our room. We made love and took a nap and woke holding on to each other for dear life. We didn't talk about it, but I knew she was just as nervous about the spell as I was.

We dressed and found the west balcony that I'd enjoyed the previous night and held each other as we watched the sun go down. Neither said a word, but I wondered whether it would be the last sunset we would ever share.

We grabbed a quick bite of dinner before heading to the courtroom where we were expecting the vamps. One by one, they entered. Pam joined us and we told her how we'd found Bob while she'd rested. She was relieved but as nervous as I was. I could see the tension in her face even though to anyone else I'm sure she looked as cool as a cucumber.

The witches began to fill the seats in the back of the room and vamps took their places in the front. Victor sat in the chair front and center, facing the room. Apparently, he would be conducting the meeting or trial or whatever they called it.

Two large vampire guards escorted Bob into the room and sat him in a chair in front of Victor's, also facing the room. Sookie squeezed my hand as we watched the gloved hands of the guards winding a silver chain around his chest, securing him to his chair. He searched the room with his eyes and when they found mine, they narrowed in hate. I returned his glare and took a deep breath, wondering what was in store for me next.


	8. Chapter 8

It was so strange to see Eric's body bound and seated in the courtroom. He had such an evil look on his face as he stared at his former body seated beside me. For the first time in my life I thought that Eric looked ugly. I guess I should say that Bob looked ugly. His ugly persona was inhabiting Eric's beautiful body and it just ruined it for me. And, of course, I had just spent the last few hours worshipping the body that had formerly been Bob's—a man that I never found attractive in the least. But with Eric inside of him, I had quickly grown to think him beautiful.

I felt the emotions of Bob since we were physically blood bonded. He was calm and angry, but definitely not afraid.

As the room filled with people and everyone settled into a seat, Victor called everyone to order. He summoned Eric up to the front of the room. I gave his hand a final squeeze and watched him walk to face Bob seated in his chair. Victor addressed the room, explaining what had happened, how the bodies had been switched in a magical spell. He explained to Bob that his cooperation was expected. Bob simply smirked and barked a small laugh. "I take it that you do not plan to cooperate?" Victor was polite and cool.

"Fuck you. I'm pretty sure that I'm older than you and can most likely kick your ass."

Victor's expression softened. He was enjoying the challenge. "Said the prisoner_ bound in silver_."

"You'll never be able to keep me here. I have powerful magic and can kick the asses of every vampire in this room. I was very careful when I chose which body to inhabit. You're fucking with the wrong guy now."

"So, you do refuse to cooperate."

"You're a brilliant fuck."

Victor pondered his next move. I could practically see the wheels turning in his mind. "I will allow Eric Northman to decide your fate, witch. We can torture you until you provide the information we need. Or we can keep you bound in silver indefinitely until you change your mind." Bob's smug sneer never left his face. "Eric, please take your time. We're in no hurry."

I watched Eric lower his head. I could see that he was deep in thought, his back to me. After a few long moments, he thought directly to me. _I know that you love me. This isn't what you bargained for when we started, but obviously things have changed. For better or for worse. If I stay in this body, we can grow old together. I won't be beautiful and invincible, but I'll love you until I take my last breath. We can have children together, spend every sunrise and sunset together, love each other. Will you have me as I am now?"_

He turned to look at me. I nodded my head, tears streaming down my face.

He turned back to Victor. "Kill him."

I felt a pang of fear, but it wasn't mine.

"Kill? That wasn't an option. What the fuck?" Bob wasn't so smug anymore.

"Bring me a sword." Victor stood and approached Bob with a sweet smile on his face. "It will be my pleasure, Eric."

"Wait, wait!" Bob was in a panic. "Fuck, I'll do it!" He turned to Eric. "Tell them to stop. I'll do it. I'm sorry. Fuck."

Eric turned to Victor. "I believe he wants to cooperate."


	9. Chapter 9

I watched the witches setting the room up. Circles were drawn on the floor with chalk, and a chair for me was placed in one. Bob was bound to his chair in the other. Candles were lit, the lights were dimmed. A very old black man stood between us and began to speak in Latin. I watched his mouth move and wondered what all the words meant. I had forgotten so much of my Latin because I never spoke it. Within a few minutes, my stomach began to flutter as though I were flying or dropping from a great height. I closed my eyes and heard a chorus of witches chanting all around me. My head became very heavy and dropped back involuntarily. The head witch's voice grew louder and my mouth opened. Suddenly I couldn't hear anything but the sound of air rushing by my ears. I felt like I was falling. I tried to hang on to something but my limbs wouldn't work. I was cold and afraid and so alone. I wanted to stop the fall but had no control whatsoever. Suddenly I stopped falling and hit a cool hard surface. My stomach felt normal again and I felt calm and unafraid. I opened my eyes and saw a high ceiling above me. I thought it was moving but then realized that I was simply seeing candlelight dancing on it. I thought of the candlelight on Sookie's face the night before and felt even calmer as though my limbs were loose and free.

But they weren't. I tried to raise my arms but they were held tightly to my sides. I lowered my chin and focused my eyes and saw Bob sitting in front of me with a look of fear on his face. The witch to my side was humming with closed eyes and abruptly stopped, looking from me to Bob and back. Then he turned to Victor and nodded.

Victor spoke. "Miss Stackhouse. Will you join me?"

I turned to see Sookie rise from her seat and approach the front of the room. She stood between Bob and me, first looking at Bob and then to me. The candlelight played on her face and hair and I thought of how I had held her to me the night before. I loved her so much. She smiled and began to unwrap the chains that bound me to my chair. The room erupted in gasps of shock. Sookie unwound the chain on my wrists and watched the flesh mend itself. Then she bent to kiss each wrist. She removed the chain from my ankles and I stood and took her hand in mine. We faced the room and every face was watching us with wide eyes.

"Ladies and gentleman, I believe we have a success." Victor sounded so pleased with himself. "I thank you for your patience. Witches, you have our thanks. And of course, you know where to send the bill." I turned and bowed to Victor and then to the witch who had performed the ritual. Still holding Sookie's hand, I walked down the center aisle towards the exit. Just before we left, I heard Victor casually remark, "Oh, and by the way, this human is no longer protected."

Rasul had our things moved to a vamp-friendly room. I took a quick shower and then Sookie and I silently held each other as we soaked in the bath. I washed every beautiful inch of her and she shyly washed me in return. I could see that it was an adjustment for her and so I let her explore and take her time.

She curled up in bed with me and I felt her warm tears on my chest. I stroked her hair and held her until she was through and then I finally spoke. "Do you feel sad that our human marriage has ended?"

"I guess, a little. It's just been so emotional, this whole thing. But I'm glad you're back in your own body and that it went okay. I was so scared for you." She paused and sat up a little, searching my eyes. "I meant it when I said I'd accept you as you were."

"I know you did." I kissed her fingers one by one. "And I meant every word to you as well. I'm glad he changed his mind and cooperated, but I was ready to accept the consequences had he not."

"I'm glad you didn't have to, sweetie."

"I didn't think of it at the time, but I should have asked you if you wanted me to wait to perform the ritual. We could have held him in custody. You should have had a say in the decision to go ahead with the ceremony. I'm just so used to only thinking of myself. But this obviously affects you as well. Are you sorry that I didn't wait and ask you?"

"No, honey. It was completely your decision. Your body. Your life."

There was a long silence before I continued. "We could have tried to have a child. I could have bought us some more time."

"No, you heard him. He has powerful magic. He wasn't even a little bit afraid and so I know he had a plan to escape. You had to take the opportunity. It would have been too big a risk to wait. That might have given him time to come up with another spell—one that could have left you without a body." She sat up completely and looked into my eyes. "You did the right thing, Eric. I have no regrets."

"Thank you for my three days of sunshine, Sookie. I will never forget them."

"I'm honored that you chose to spend them with me."

"Where else would I be?" She settled back against me and I hugged her to me.

"Bob was very interested in you. I should have picked up on it. I could have warned you. He kept asking me questions and I just didn't put two and two together."

"You had no way of knowing what his plan was."

"I'm a telepath, Eric. I should have known."

"It's okay, lover. Please don't blame yourself."

"I know you're big on revenge, but…is it crazy for me to be upset at the thought of harm coming to him now? "

"No, it's a lot to contemplate. You became attached to his body and feel compelled to protect it now. I can understand that. Plus, you're such a gentle person."

"So, you won't kill him?"

"Lover, I don't need to. Victor just rescinded his order of protection in a room full of vampires who know both his powers and his motives. I seriously doubt if he'll survive past this night."

"Oh."

"Try not to dwell on the sordid parts of our story, my love. Let's just remember how we shared the sun and made love and created joy together from a horrible event."

She squeezed me tighter. "I do love you, Eric."

"And I you."


	10. Chapter 10

I watched my master and Sookie leave the courtroom hand in hand as if they had just been married. I could see the relief in both their faces. I was greatly relieved as well. When that little prick, Bob, walked out the door, I felt many pairs of undead eyes on me. I knew as Eric's child, it was my right to have first crack at him. I guess I should say second crack, actually. Eric had first rights. But I could see that he wanted to be with Sookie and I seriously doubted if she would be too keen on any kind of plan to kill Bob tonight. Or any night. They most likely would be spending the rest of this night celebrating reintroducing a reasonable male appendage into their lives. Poor Sookie. That Bob was certainly no prize physically.

I nodded my thanks to Victor and the witches and spoke briefly to Amelia before going to find Anthony. I knew that he had been the palace liaison for Eric and Sookie since their visit began and would be the best place to start. He wouldn't be in the position he was in unless he was completely trustworthy—well, as trustworthy as a human can be anyway. He drove me to the graveyard and sat and kept me company while I dug the grave.

When Bob opened the door to his apartment, I could tell that he'd been drinking alcohol and I couldn't really blame him. "Hello, Bob. Do you know who I am?" He nodded. "And have you met my friend, Anthony, here?"

"Hello."

"Now, you and I both know that I can't come in without an invitation, and we also both know that I could glamor one out of you, but I'm not going to do that. I'm going to ask politely if I can come in to discuss turning you. The rest is up to you."

He stood and stared, eyes a little glazed from the drinking, but soon his judgment kicked in and he stepped back. "Won't you come in?"

"That's a good boy." And just like that, I was a guest in Bob's lovely home.

We all sat down like civilized adults. Bob started the conversation. "Why did you bring a human?"

"As a gesture of goodwill. It is highly unlikely that I would drain you dry with another human sitting here watching me. It would be poor form. Anthony is here to calm you and make you feel less threatened, since we both know that I could kill you at any instant."

"Right." Then he turned to Anthony. "Thank you for coming."

"Now, let's get down to it. You are a marked man, my friend. Every vamp in New Orleans wants to kill you right now and probably a few witches as well. You fucked up. Now, it's pretty clear that you want to be a vampire. I can't give you a hunky bod like Eric's of course, but I can give you eternal life sucking blood and looking cool. Are you with me so far?" I got a nod. "Good."

"Wait, why would you turn me? You're his child. You must hate me."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you? Well, let me tell you a little something about master/child relationships. They're not about roses and chocolates. Yes, Eric is my master, but I hate him. He has made my existence miserable for centuries. I want nothing more than to be free of him. I was hoping that I'd get my chance when I learned about your little stunt."

"So why didn't you just kill him when he was in my human body? It would have been easy."

"I can't. It's forbidden for a vampire to kill his or her maker. That's where my buddy Anthony came in. He was helping me formulate a plan to have an assassin take care of it for me, but, well, then we found you and…well, you know the rest. I missed my golden moment." I sat back and let some of it sink into his pickled little brain. "So, if you were to become my child, you could legally kill Eric. Hell, you'd have to because he's gonna want to kill you for sure. I mean, he will anyway. At least this way, you'd have a chance to kill him first."

"But I'd be weaker than he is. I'll be younger. How can I kill him?"

"I know where he lives. I know his habits. His weaknesses. You getting my drift?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"So, take your time. Give it some thought. If you think you can survive for another hour without some vamp sucking the life out of you, then meet me at this address. In one hour." I handed him the slip of paper with the graveyard's address on it. "Don't wear anything you'd like to keep. After we do the deed, you spend three nights in a grave before rising. It ruins good clothes. Oh wait, is your car here or did you leave it in Shreveport?"

"It's here. I took the bus to Shreveport."

"The bus? Yeah, well, stuff like that's about to change. See you in an hour then."

I stood to go and Anthony was right behind me.

We sat in the car by the graveyard for forty-five minutes before Bob drove up. I got out and turned back to Anthony. "Time for you to go."

Bob watched him drive away after getting out of the car. "Why's he leaving?"

"This isn't a pretty little show. We don't want to give him nightmares, now do we?"

When Bob and I arrived beside the open grave, I asked if he was nervous.

"No, I'm ready. I've wanted this for a long time."

I took him in my arms and nuzzled his neck. Just before I bit, I whispered, "This is going to hurt a little, but when you wake up you'll be one of us."

He gasped when my fangs penetrated his flesh. I began to pull and swallow and was lost in the bloodlust. He moaned softly and I stroked his back gently, trying to comfort him and sooth him so he wouldn't flail at the end. When I felt his pulse slow, I slowed my sucking as well. I held him until I felt the last beat of his heart and then licked the wound out of habit even though there was no need.

I stuck my hand into his pocket and retrieved his keys and then lifted him and carried him the few feet to the grave. I tossed him in and began shoveling the dirt into the hole.

I parked his car on the street a couple of miles from the palace, left the keys in the ignition, and got out to walk. It was a beautiful night. When I entered the palace, it was nearing dawn. The courtroom had emptied and I found Anthony in there folding chairs and putting them away. "You're still up?"

"Yeah, I wanted to get this done before going to bed. We had so many extra people here tonight." He stopped folding and looked me in the eye. "Did he know?"

I shook my head and he seemed relieved.

"You're very kind. I wasn't expecting that."

"Well, you met her. She's changed us all."

"Yes, she's very special."

"Yes she is."

I climbed the stairs and got into bed just as the dawn came, satisfied that I had served both my master and my friend to the best of my ability.


	11. Chapter 11

I was very thorough when I chose to switch bodies with Eric Northman. I had been studying the ancient spell for a long time and knew that becoming a vampire was something that I wanted. I considered trying to find a vampire to turn me, but then I thought of the spell and decided it would be even better to be a vampire with Eric Northman's body. He's obviously very attractive and that was certainly a plus, but even more appealing was his age. I had heard that he was over a thousand years old, and I understood that an advanced age meant several things: added strength, the ability to stay up later and rise earlier than most other vampires, a healthy dose of respect/fear from other vamps. And of course, that motherfucker could fly. Oh yes, I made my selection very carefully.

I spent some time in Bon Temps staying with Amelia, hoping to get to spend some time around Eric so I could learn as much about him as possible. I knew that Sookie was his bonded or wife—whatever they called it. I asked several times to go to Fangtasia with her, hoping that Eric would accept me in their little circle of acquaintances, but she always seemed too busy or too tired to be bothered. I drove up to Shreveport several times by myself and spent a fair amount of time in the bar watching Eric's habits. He seemed to spend some time every night sitting on a throne so people could just watch him (what a trip that must be), and as far as I could tell, his office was left unlocked and unoccupied. His second-in-command, Pam, stayed pretty busy running the bar and rarely went into the office. She was very hot looking, but gave me the creeps. I vowed to avoid her at all costs after the deed was done. I planned to avoid all vamps, actually. I knew so little about all their politics and such and had no interest to get involved in it. I just wanted to live my life as a vampire and be left alone.

I knew that it would be very tricky getting out of town on the same night that I made the switch. I had planned on heading to New Orleans as soon as possible, but that's not exactly a quick trip. Air travel was out of the question. I had no way of knowing whether I'd have identification to get through security at the airport. Too tricky. I had no idea whether flying that distance myself would be an option. And so I scouted the surrounding towns and found the perfect resting place for my first night as a vampire. It was a little town just south and east of Shreveport—at least in the general direction of New Orleans—and had the perfect old abandoned cemetery. It was spooky enough that I seriously doubted if many would go near it. The most recent burial was in 1914, so it wasn't likely that it would get a lot of traffic. There were seven above-ground crypts that I studied. I wasn't able to move the lids, of course, but pinned all my hopes on being able to once I had vampire strength. Just to be safe, I purchased a shovel and hid it behind a tombstone for good measure. I figured I could always dig myself a grave.

Once I was back home in New Orleans and was ready for my plan to commence, I took a cab to the bus station, and then the bus to Shreveport. I planned it carefully so that by the time I got to Fangtasia, I'd be close to out of cash and have no credit cards in my wallet. Leaving Eric with no money might buy me some additional time to get away. I was terribly nervous as I sat at the bar, waiting for Eric to appear. As soon as he sat came out to impress the humans, I made my move into his empty office. I had perfected the spell so that once I got to the part where my own soul was ready to exit, I could repeat, maintaining the same level of magic until Eric appeared. I sat in such a state for what seemed like a long time, my soul ready to launch out of my body at any moment, and then I sensed his presence. The magic would have stunned him enough to prevent his attack and so all I had to do was let the spell do its thing.

When I opened my eyes, I saw my former shell seated on the floor looking bewildered. He had no idea what had hit him and I took the opportunity to turn and leave the room. I got outside easily and then it hit me that I had made a mistake. In all my careful planning, I had intended to hide my keys under a bush behind the bar, but I had been so nervous that I'd forgotten. I cursed myself for such a sloppy mistake, but then continued my plan and tried to fly away. It was as easy as falling off a horse. I just jumped and spread my arms as though I were swimming, and I was in the air and flying like a pro.

Once I was oriented in the sky, I turned south and east and headed for my cemetery. It was such a quick trip that I wished I'd planned to head a little further towards New Orleans. I could have covered much more of the trip easily, but then finding another secure resting place might not be so easy, and that wasn't something I could risk. And even if I made it all the way to New Orleans, I didn't have my apartment key to get inside, dammit.

I chose the most secluded vault and pried the lid off easily. Yes, it was disgusting, but there was plenty of room for me to lie inside and I even practiced closing the lid above me once I was in it. Satisfied that I had found my resting place for my first day, I decided to enjoy the rest of the night.

I had no watch, so didn't know exactly what time it was, but it felt like I still had a pretty big chunk of nighttime ahead of me. I checked my wallet and was happy to find a little over five hundred dollars. I took to the sky again and reveled in the sensations of the air between my feet and the earth. It was everything I had imagined and more.

I spotted a tiny convenience store below with nothing at all around it. I didn't want to go inside where the cameras could record my activities and so I landed on top of the building and waited for a car to arrive. A black pick up truck pulled up and as soon as the women stepped outside the door, I swooped down and snatched her. She was lighter than I expected and I could move a lot faster that I'd thought possible, and before I could even decide what to do next, I was back up on the roof with her.

She collapsed and I dropped to my knees, placing a hand over her mouth as I laid her out onto the roof. She had a look of utter terror in her eyes and I felt myself growing excited at the sight. I tried to force my will into her eyes, using the glamor that I'd heard so much about. She immediately fainted and so I have no idea whether it worked or not. I let go of her and her head fell back onto the roof with a thud. She was far from a beautiful woman, but I still found her scent to be incredibly attractive. I pulled her purse from her shoulder and fished the wallet out, slipping it into my pants pocket. I looked back to her face and she was still completely unconscious. Turning her head away from me, I sunk my teeth into her neck.

The taste of blood was like an explosion of pleasure. I couldn't suck or swallow fast enough. I couldn't get enough of it. I also wanted to fuck her immediately. I vaguely registered that I was growling or grunting and had a brief coherent thought that I needed to be quiet. I rotated my body and positioned it directly over hers and fumbled with my fly. When I felt the girth of my penis, I almost choked on the mouthful of blood I had just acquired. God, it was huge.

I started to tear her clothes away from her body so that I could fuck her when she suddenly woke and began screaming at the top of her lungs. I covered her mouth with one hand while the other continued to pull at her clothing. She struggled, but it was easy to subdue her. Suddenly, my pleasure was interrupted by a loud gunshot and I was startled enough to disengage from the woman's throat.

"What the fuck is going on up there?" I heard a man shouting from below. I assumed it was the clerk from the convenience store, but then thought it could also be another customer or even law enforcement. It was enough to spook me and so I took off flying.

I landed back at the cemetery and hid behind one of the crypts. I looked down at my now flaccid penis hanging from my opened pants and wrapped my hand around it. I closed my eyes and thought of the women struggling beneath me and felt it harden in my hand. I stroked until it seemed to be fully engorged and then looked down again and gasped at the sight.

I decided that I didn't want to take any more risks on my first night and so found my chosen crypt and climbed in. Once I had the lid secured, I simply relaxed and masturbated, taking my time, fantasizing about the woman on the roof. When I came, I rolled onto my side so that the unsuspecting coffin below would suffer the mess and I'd preserve the integrity of my clothes. I didn't know how long it would be before I could replace them.

I lay in the dark and thought of what an amazing life I had ahead of me. I wasn't tired at all and kept thinking that surely it must be getting close to dawn. Soon I did start to feel something, but it wasn't fatigue. It was an intense adrenaline rush accompanied by an overwhelming desire to bury myself in the ground. I fought it, knowing that I was safe for the day and before I knew it, I was completely out.


	12. Chapter 12

I woke to pitch black and remembered immediately where I was and what had happened to me. I pushed the lid of my crypt open and emerged into the new night. After seeing how easily I could fly the previous night, I made the decision to fly myself all the way to New Orleans. I took to the sky and got my bearings before turning to head south and west.

The higher I flew, the faster I seemed to be able to go and the colder it was. I didn't mind the cold in the least. I kept my face down so that I never lost sight of the interstate. Fortunately, it was a clear night. I felt fairly certain where I was the whole time and was certainly never bored of the amazing view. After what seemed like only a few hours, I saw what must surely be the city ahead. I circled a few times, looking for landmarks as I flew lower and soon found my apartment building.

I cursed myself again for forgetting to hide my keys in the bushes outside of Fangtasia, but forgave myself as soon as I saw the lights on in my landlady's apartment. I put on what I hoped was my most seductive smile before knocking on her door.

"Well, hello handsome."

"You must be Evelyn Montgomery. You were described to me as a beauty and I see that it is true."

Her smile broadened and she cocked an eyebrow. "And who might you be?"

"Eric. I'm a friend of Bob's." She extended her hand and I took it in my own and kissed the back of it.

"Enchante, Eric."

"Bob asked me to pick up a few things for him, but I'm afraid I've forgotten my key. He suggested that perhaps you could assist me." She looked slightly uncomfortable. "Oh, and he asked me to pay you the rent that he owes." That brought the smile back. "If it's no trouble, Evelyn. May I call you Evelyn?" I took my wallet out and handed her enough to get me caught up and then cover half of the next month. I had no idea how much was in the woman's wallet in my other pocket, but I knew that it would be easy to add to it if I needed to.

Evelyn strutted up the stairs in front of me and when she opened my door and stepped inside, I lowered my voice seductively. "You have to invite me in, beautiful."

Once inside, I closed the door behind me and decided to practice my glamor a little more. I already had Evelyn's attention and so I simply looked deeply into her eyes and thought over and over: _Give me the key._ It took about four give-me-the-keys to get her to press it into my hand. I pocketed it, pleased with my success and took it a step further. _Suck my cock._

She had my fly open and my cock in her mouth before I could even repeat myself. And she was quite talented. After I came, she stood and wiped her mouth, smiling at me. I touched her neck, staring at the vein in it, wanting to bite. She tilted her head to the side and I bit down. She let out an "ouch" before relaxing into it. I didn't take much, not wanting to accidentally kill her and have to deal with the aftermath of that. She left with a growing stain on the collar of her blouse and a promise to return "anytime." Well, that couldn't have gone much better.

I transferred the money in my stolen wallet to my…well…stolen wallet (the one that came with my stolen body) and discarded the empty one onto the coffee table as I left the apartment. I was pissed that I didn't have my car key, but decided that I preferred flying anyway. I had only flown a couple of blocks before I saw a very pretty brunette woman walking down the sidewalk on a fairly quiet street. I landed in front of her.

"I'm sorry. Did I startle you?"

She had a panicked look in her eye and I caught it, stepping closer and thinking, _Don't be afraid._

Immediately, she relaxed and smiled and within two minutes had agreed to go back to my apartment. She complained that I hurt her because she "wasn't ready," but I hardly saw the need for foreplay when I had this giant dick to offer. I figured that should be enough. Her wallet was full of cash, but I got blood on my shirt which pissed me off. I didn't see how vamps did this without making a mess all the time.

I put my on biggest t-shirt, but it still looked stupidly small on me. I flew down to the French Quarter to do a little shopping. I bought a few different shirts and figured that would do until I could get some more wallets. While I was paying, I felt someone's eyes on me and turned to find a petite and beautiful black woman watching me. At first I assumed that she just wanted to have sex with me until she nodded and I realized that she was a vampire. I nodded back and grabbed my bag of new clothes and left the store quickly. I wondered if she knew Eric or whether it was just customary for vampires to acknowledge each other in public.

I walked a few blocks, watching for beautiful women who were alone, when I passed yet another vampire. This one was more obvious—tall and pale and a man. We exchanged nods as well, and then I decided that seeing others like me was not a good thing. What if one wanted to engage me in conversation? I had no way of knowing whether Eric knew any vampires here in New Orleans. I guess I just assumed that getting out of Shreveport would assure that I wouldn't see any vamps that knew him, but what if I was wrong? I hurried around the corner, making sure that no one saw me before taking to the sky again.

I changed into a new shirt and went for a stroll. I found another lovely young woman who was more than happy to accompany me back to my apartment. Apparently she was even younger than she looked and as it turned out, a virgin as well. I almost felt bad for hurting her, but then decided that I'd done her a favor. If you have to lose it to someone, why not a man with a dick as big and perfect as this one? Unfortunately, she didn't have much in her wallet. I didn't want to mess up my new shirt and so I'd grabbed a towel from the bathroom before biting her. She tasted a little sweeter than the others for some reason, and I wondered later if it was because she'd been a virgin at that point.

By the time dawn neared, I was completely sated and could not have been happier with my new existence. As planned, I found my resting spot beside the heater in the little closet at the end of the hall and slept like the dead.


	13. Chapter 13

I decided to take a shower after rising. I enjoyed the sensual pleasure of the hot water, but was anxious to get back to my feeding and fucking. When I dressed, I went without underwear, but was able to wear my own socks. I noticed a couple of specks of blood on my pants and decided I'd have to do some more shopping. But first, it was time to eat.

The first woman was delicious. Maybe because she was the first of the evening, I don't know. I decided to try something different and found a man to bring home as my second meal. He tasted the same as the women, but when he reached for my dick, I kind of freaked out. It felt weird to let a man touch me and I got pissed and started to choke him, but not really hard. He only passed out for a few minutes but it gave me time to go through his wallet and count his money. I watched him lying on the sofa on my bloody towel and wondered what it would feel like to actually kill him. When he came to, I glamored him and sent him on his way.

I passed most of the night in what had quickly become my usual manner. I accumulated quite a pile of wallets and had enjoyed a variety of sex acts. By the time I remembered that I needed to go shopping, I realized that most decent stores would be closed. I considered flying back to the French Quarter again on the off chance that one had stayed open late when I remembered how uncomfortable I'd felt running into other vampires. I started thinking that if I was going to be looking over my shoulder all the time here, maybe it was time to move somewhere else. I loved New Orleans and it could obviously provide me with all the meals and sex I ever wanted. I thought about where else I might want to live now that I had the means to go wherever I wanted and it came to me: Las Vegas.

I always loved the appeal of Vegas with its decadent lifestyle. What better place for a vampire to live than sin city? And I could live without worry that I could be discovered. What are the odds that any vampires in the state of Nevada would know who Eric Northman is?

I started considering how I might get to Las Vegas. I supposed that taking a commercial flight would be the quickest way and I did have a valid i.d. in Eric's wallet, so I felt pretty sure that I could get through security without incident. It was such a long distance that I wasn't sure if I could fly it myself all in one night and was uncomfortable at the thought of having to secure a resting place along the way. Driving would present the same issue. I called a couple of airlines, but there were no flights that could get me there before dawn. I made a reservation for a flight first thing the following night with my male victim's credit card. Then I went out and found myself another woman.

By the time dawn started to near, I was back in my little resting place in the heater closet. I was thinking of my plan to move and where I might want to stay when I got to Vegas. I thought of all the beautiful women that I'd have when I got there and had a fleeting thought--maybe before I left town, I'd see what it felt like to kill someone. It was bound to happen sooner or later and I was kind of curious how it might go. Doing it on my way out of town would make it less likely that I could get caught. Maybe I'd kill Evelyn. I never liked her anyway. I was contemplating my options when I felt that newly familiar rush of adrenaline and then I was out.

I woke to mind-numbing pain in my wrists and ankles. I opened my eyes and saw black fabric in front of my eyes. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was most likely inside a box or coffin, which meant that I was also most likely imprisoned by vampires, which would explain the pain at my wrists and ankles: silver. I knew they used silver chains to bind vampires. It burned like a motherfucker. I was never really the type to panic. And my knowledge of magic always made me feel like I could handle almost any situation in a superior way.

I closed my eyes and tried to think of a spell that would be appropriate for the chains that bound me. I began to meditate and chant and before long, I heard the tiny clinking of silver chain links as the chains began to shift in place. I was distracted by the sound of voices and the chains stopped their movement. I resettled my mind and continued with the spell, but my concentration was broken when I heard the coffin lid open and the fabric was peeled away from my face and I found two vampire faces staring down at me.

When I entered the room full of vampires, I felt an odd wave of emotions. Anxiety, fear—but I knew somehow that they weren't my feelings. I looked around the room and spotted my former self and seethed. And then I realized that those feelings must be coming from Sookie; that must be that whole bonded thing that they have. Had, I should say. How weird. Why would anyone want to be that entangled with another person?

I immediately cursed myself for not leaving town sooner. I should have realized that Eric would find me in my apartment. He had the key, for christ's sake, and my wallet with my driver's license in it. I guess I had really not thought everything through when I planned this out. I was pissed that I had made such a stupid mistake and pissed that I was brought here for this stupid crap, but I only considered it a bump in the road.

The vamps would either torture me for my cooperation in recreating the spell or keep me bound in silver until I agreed to cooperate. Either way, I wasn't worried. If I was tortured, I could take it. And then at the end of the night when all the other younger vamps had to go to beddy-bye, I'd have time to get out of my silver chains with a simple spell and head for any exit in the building. Once I was airborne, no one could track me. I'd just have to find a quick place to rest for the day. I knew the area fairly well and there was a cemetery nearby. I could always bury myself in the ground if I had to. And of course, just keeping me bound in silver alone would be a piece of cake for me. I'd be out of my chains and far away from these idiots before their undead heads hit the pillows in their coffins. Choosing Eric Northman's body to steal was no accident.

The head vamp gave Eric the decision of what to do with me and while he seemed to be contemplating his choices, I felt a surge of …admiration? Love? I guess Sookie thought she loved him which was pretty odd if you asked me. Why would a human love any vampire? All they are is feeding and fucking, decadence, gluttony, pleasures of the flesh. Don't get me wrong—I'm all for that. That's why I chose to become one in the first place. But why would a girl like Sookie want someone like that?

I was kind of lost in thought until I heard Eric say "Kill him," and that snapped me out of it real fast. I have to admit, I had never even considered the possibility that I'd be killed. I was certain that Eric would want to keep me alive to get his body back. Hell, I counted on that. That head vamp asked for a sword and I changed my tune real fast. Fuck. This changed everything. I had to think on my feet.

I agreed to cooperate, naturally. I'm not stupid. I was trying to figure out if I could alter the spell so that Eric's spirit was lost, but mine remained in this body, but I didn't have time to work it out and it was too big a risk to take to rush it and fuck it up. My spirit could be the one lost without a body and I wasn't willing to take that chance.

And so reluctantly, I told the witches what spell and language I used and I was back in my human body very shortly. Just before the switch, I was trying to come up with a back-up plan—some way to get back into a vamp's body. But then once I was back in human form and standing in that room full of vamps, all I could think about was trying not to shit in my pants from fear. That head vamp said something about no longer protecting me and I thought, holy fuck, I'm not going to get out of here alive.

But then I did. Somehow, those bloodsuckers let me just walk right out the front door. I don't know what their reasoning was, but I was grateful for it. I caught a cab home and spent nine out of the fourteen dollars I still had in my wallet. Fortunately, my keys were still in my pocket, so I could get back into my apartment.

I immediately started working on a plan to get my ass to Vegas. The plane ticket I'd bought was in Eric's name, so that would do me no good. I had my car keys back, but no cash (well, okay, five dollars) and no credit cards. The wallets on my coffee table were all gone. I was throwing some clothes into a suitcase and downing Jack Daniels for my nerves when I finally came to the conclusion that I'd have to just kill Evelyn anyway and hope to god she had some cash in her place. I was trying to decide the easiest way to do it since I no longer had vampire strength when there was a knock at my door.

It never occurred to me that a vamp would offer to turn me after all this. I couldn't believe my luck. But Pam certainly seemed sincere in her offer and even brought some human guy with her to show me her good faith. Of course, my decision was a no brainer. It was the most perfect solution to my problem just handed to me on a silver platter. Fuck, I'd get to be a vampire and with Pam's help, even get to kill Eric before he could kill me. It was a shame I'd have to stay in my current body—I knew I'd miss that big dick, but hell, it was better than what I thought would happen to me. I thought I'd be on the run, heading to Vegas, pockets full of blood money. And that was the best I could hope for.

And so here I am now, writing this down for posterity just in case something goes wrong. I'm looking at the clock and it hasn't been an hour since Pam left, but I'm ready now. Why not start my new eternity a few minutes early? If all goes well, I'll be back here in three nights a vampire. If not, then to whomever finds this—this is my tale and the fact that you're reading it means that I'm dead. If you're a human, don't trust vampires. And if you're a vampire, then fuck you.


	14. Chapter 14

I've never been big on statistics. I wonder what the odds are that I would walk this earth for over a thousand years. And then what are the odds that I would inhabit the body of another person? And then inhabit my own again. And what are the odds of a human woman and a vampire having a successful partnership? A loving relationship. Probably not very good.

I guess you could say that I'm one in a million. And, come to think of it, so is Sookie. How many telepaths are there in the world? Not many, I can assure you. And so the night she came to me and started spouting statistics, showing me websites full of numbers and scientific studies, I just held up my hand and said, "Lover, don't tell me the odds. When will you realize that what you are is special? What we have is special? Why should you be surprised at just how special you are?"

It's funny, but things between Sookie and me really seemed to change when Bob stole my body. I was so completely overwhelmed with the shock of inhabiting a human body, feeling physical sensations that I had not felt in many centuries. Sookie was the logical person to go to because she is a human herself and has always been in my corner when I needed assistance. Of course, she took splendid care of me when I was cursed and lost my memory. She took care of me when the Pyramid of Gizeh began to crumble under our very feet. I trusted her above all others. Even Pam, my own child, was not as trusted in that moment because she is not a human.

And so I went to my bonded for help. We had been close prior to that night. In my world, we were wed. But we both knew that such a marriage was not the same as most. We didn't fall in love, vow to never be apart, long for a future together. We didn't even live in the same city. We did love each other I believe but never spoke of it. We expressed it in bed and I hope I showed it in trying to care for her, but as a suitor, I was lacking. I didn't want others to have her, but was I willing to change my world to let her in? No, not at all. I was a selfish prick and had been for too many years to count.

But that changed when my body was stolen. I saw that Sookie did love me. Much more than I imagined. She changed her life to accommodate my needs—took off from work, fed me a picnic lunch in a meadow, made love to a stranger's body as the sun rose. I saw just how special she is. And I loved her right back with all my heart.

I was willing to live a human life with her when I saw that the bastard thief would not yield. In a flash, I saw us growing old together and thought: that could feel right too. But we didn't have to make that decision. The bastard made it for us. It took awhile for us to find our way back to what we had in our human union. The fantasy was over, and I suppose we didn't really know where to go from there.

So, at first we simply went home. I went back to Fangtasia. She went back to Merlotte's. I saw her once or twice a week—I'd drive down to make love to her after her shift and she'd be tired and I'd be preoccupied with other matters. It was not the romantic vision we had--I guess I should say, I had--after beating the odds and regaining my body and my life.

Finally, one night I told her that I wanted us back. I wanted what we had become in our brief human marriage. It took awhile. She is a stubborn and independent woman and I suppose I can be difficult as well. But eventually she agreed that she wanted us back as well and living the way we were wasn't working. I thought that she hesitated because I could not give her the life a human could, but she assured me that that was not the case. Whatever it was that had held her back had finally changed. Her heart finally opened to me and she accepted that we needed to be an us again.

She moved into my home and made it her own. She joined me at Fangtasia and worked by my side. No, we couldn't share a sunrise or a sunset again, but we shared the nights and we found our love again. We were back to a blissful us when she came to me with the laptop and showed me the odds. The scientists called it a failure rate, but it couldn't have felt less like a failure to us. I took her in my arms and showed her how much I loved and cherished her.

I have shown her the same every night since, and tonight will be no different. I woke and saw my text message, called Pam and relayed the news to her voice mail. I texted Sookie back and quickly dressed, driving myself to the hospital as planned. My thoughts were of how Bob's strange choices led me to this point. He stole my body—something I would have thought the odds were surely against. I was certain then that I would never be the same again. But nine months ago, I became a vampire again. Tonight I become a father again. Yes, the odds are against it all, but that means nothing to someone like me.

XXX


End file.
